Malaysia: 10 Dead After Two Navy Helicopters Crash During Rehearsal

• Two Malaysian military helicopters crashed into each other on Tuesday morning, killing all 10 crew members on board and injuring a swimmer, as one chopper hit a swimming pool. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• The two Navy choppers were rehearsing for Saturday’s parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy when they collided in mid-air at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak. Reuters (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• A video of the incident published in local media showed several helicopters flying in formation when one aircraft's rotors clipped another before both crashed to the ground. Local police have confirmed the video's authenticity. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Seven of the victims were aboard a Hom M503-3 helicopter, believed to have hit a runway, while the other three were in a Fennec M502-6 chopper that fell into the pool. All 10 were pronounced dead on site, the Royal Malaysian Navy said. BBC News (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the navy is investigating the incident, and told reporters that the M503-3 was being flown for the first time during the flyby. He added that the victims were aged between 26 and 41. Malay Mail
• Over the past ten years, several serious helicopter crashes have occurred in Malaysia, including one in 2015 that killed its US ambassador. Collisions in 2016 and 2020 killed six and two people respectively, and in 2023 ten people died when a private jet crashed onto a highway. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)

Narrative A:

• Signs point to Tuesday’s crash being caused by a critical point failure of the helicopter’s structure, but the exact cause remains unknown. This is a tragic outcome, but authorities will be sure to release information as they investigate for the benefit of the victims' families.
  BERNAMA

Narrative B:

• While tragedies can be unpredictable, there are key indicators suggesting Tuesday’s helicopter crash should have been anticipated. One of the helicopter types involved in the tragedy had been involved in a collision just a month prior, and the aircraft model has experienced other problems over the years. It doesn’t seem as if all possible safety precautions were taken to prevent this crash.
  THE STAR

Nerd narrative:

• There is a 7.5% chance, that Malaysia will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)